Making a difference every day

Hasina Nizamee

With a 2:1 degree in biology and health and safety management, Hasina initially pursued a career as a health and safety adviser. But realising this wasn’t allowing her to use her knowledge of biology, Hasina decided she wanted to work with young people and really make a difference – and teaching was the ideal route to take.

Hasina chose the School Direct training option, and is training at the Arthur Terry National Teaching School. Teacher training, she says, has its ups and downs, but is quick to add that it’s all worth it. “When you get through to a child, when you see their eyes light up with curiosity and wonder, you remember what brought you into teaching.”

School Direct was the best training route for Hasina, who at 31 felt she had already done her time at university. “As a mother of two with experience in the industry, it made more sense to go into what felt more like a work setting.”

And, to help Hasina along the way, she received a generous training bursary that has supported her throughout the duration of the course. As part of the application process, Hasina had to demonstrate her potential as a teacher. “I had to teach some year 7 students, and that was the best part of the interview!” Her advice to others is to prepare well in advance and to plan your lesson in as much detail as you can – but most importantly, “be yourself.”

When you get through to a child, when you see their eyes light up with curiosity and wonder, you remember what brought you into teaching.

Making the move into teaching is a decision Hasina is glad to have made. “Teacher training has been by far one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life”, she says. “It has made me realise my potential, testing the limits of my patience, confidence, organisational skills and empathy, as well as academic ability.”

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Find out about the support that you’ll receive on a School Direct course from both primary and secondary trainees. Transcript (PDF, 47KB)